A decade ago today America was shaken by a tragic event. Many firefighters gave the ultimate sacrifice to help complete strangers that were victims of 9/11. Friends, Fathers, Mothers, Brothers, Sisters...family was lost. On this 10 year anniversary we remember all those who helped, who were lost, and who are still fighting - they will never be forgotten - and always in my prayers.
I bet everyone can remember that day and where they were. I remember waking up that day and seeing my parents had their TV on. I tried to figure out what was going on, but was told to get ready for school. I could tell it was serious because my parents rarely watched the news in the morning, weather yes, news no. I went to school and it was chaotic. A lot of the students weren't there. Every class room had a TV on - the students that were there were one by one checked out by their parents. I remember sitting in my 8th grade math class - that is when they really showed what happened. The Twin Towers had collapsed. I sat there in shock at what I was watching. I had never been to New York, or seen the Twin Towers, but I knew this was serious. By the end of the day I was one of the only students still in school. When I got home I cried so hard! I wanted my parents to explain what was going on, why it had happened, and why almost every parent except mine had checked their child out of school. I can still barely wrap my mind about the occurrences of that day - and I was all the way here in Texas.
My fiance and I spent our 2 year anniversary and Valentines Day in New York City this year. It was a fun, random trip that we decided to take when Southwest did one of their airfare specials. While there we made a point to go to Ground Zero. It was a beautiful, windy day. When we arrived we couldn't believe the magnitude of the area affected. There was construction all around rebuilding the devastation. Below are the photos that were taken while there February 2011.
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| To the right is the new building that will be built near the location of where the Twin Towers were. In place of the Twin Towers will be 2 square "reflecting" ponds, with 30 ft waterfalls all around. |
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| A picture posted on the construction fence of what the new tower will look like |
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| St. Pauls church that housed all the volunteers of 9/11 |
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| St. Pauls Church - pews were turned into beds, cots were brought in - this is where the volunteers came for a few minutes or hours of sleep - or just to clear their heads. |
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It is a Japanese legend that whoever folds 1,000 origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane,
such as recovery from illness or injury - thousands upon thousands of these cranes held together by strings were covering a small wall in the church - each to be granted a wish. |
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| Police Badges sent from around the world |
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| Found the Sugarland Badge - a town near my hometown in Houston |
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| Henry standing near the altar |
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| Crosses made by a welder from scraps of the Twin Towers |
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| A letter posted in the church - I hope you can read it - it made me tear up. |
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| A mold of the type of leaf belonging to the numerous trees to be planted around where the Twin Towers use to stand |
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Sign in the cemetery outside St. Pauls Church
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A decade ago the whole world changed in a second - this day will always be remembered, along with the people involved - May God bless all those who helped, who were lost, and who are still fighting.
Hey Baby, this was beautiful. And, just so you know, sending you girls to school that day was probably one of the most difficult decisions we've ever made, but to run and cower was not our way of living. We were determined to show the terrorists that we insisted on living our lives fully and not allowing them to make us cringe at home in fear.
ReplyDeleteJust so you know, on the evening of 9/11 I had and Estate Planning class at the University of Houston in Clear Lake...I had no idea if the school would be shut down or what, but I went. I'm so thankful that I went because the professor gave a speech to the FIVE of us who had showed up that we are the future of America...the ones who refuse to let the terrorists win. They wanted to put America to a halt and we did our part when others weren't able to make sure the message was sent that Americans are fighters. I sat in class that night and even though we really didn't absorb much, we five students and our professor took a stand in showing that the terrorists would not force us into a corner.
But, you girls did get to stay home the next day. No television was allowed to be turned on to the news stations...only Disney movies and video games. That was the day that we decided to simply be at home together, to be thankful and to try to re-direct your minds from a horrific day that could not have been avoided by any of us.
P.S. I loved your pictures of New York and how you described each one and how it made you feel to see it in person.
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